Advertising: A Data‐Rich Label

Richard G. Landis, the president of Del Monte, the nation's biggest canner, kicked off an exceedingly nutritious morning at the Plaza Hotel with big news about a new labeling pro gram.

And it so pleased Mrs. Virginia Knauer, the Presi dent's special assistant for consumer affairs, that she was moved to say, “A great big thanks to you, Mr. Landis, and to Del Monte for being the innovators in this — the first major company to an nounce their commitment to this.”

Although for some time the breakfast cereal industry has supplied this type of in formation on their packages, it was only last March that the Food and Drug Adminis tration (having worked with food industry leaders) pro posed industry‐wide nu tritional‐labeling guidelines. Manufacturers don't have to list such content, but if they decide to, the F.D.A: s way has to be their way.

The first of the new Del Monte cans — for 34 of its products accounting for over half of its volume — should be making the shelves in the spring.

It will also have the line, “For good nutrition, eat a variety of foods.”

“This,” said Mr. Landis, “could be the most important part of the label.”

•

He said the program would be finding its way into Del Monte's national advertising. The company spends some thing like $9.5‐million on that through its agency, Mc Cann‐Erickson.

Later, James Schmuck, his group vice president for gro cery products, said that the advertising would wait at least until the new labels were on the shelves and that he wasn't sure just what di rection it might take.

The California‐based corpo ration tied in its announce ment with the first annual Family Health magazine Nu trition in Advertising Awards luncheon. (The winners ap peared here Aug. 7). And Dr. Jean Mayer, the prominent nutritionalist and conciever of the program, was with Mr. Landis at the news con ference.

Dr. Mayer, who is eager to see some of the impact of the more than $1‐billion In an nual food advertising used to impart nutritional infor mation, heard Mrs. Knauer, the luncheon guest speaker, say that not all ads should be based on that type of in formation but that taste, looks and convenience had a place.

“But,” she added, “in ad vertising these character istics it is important to con sider the nutritional implica tions of what is said or left unsaid.”

And, pray tell, what was the menu like for such a lunch? Well first there were cold halibut chunks followed by roast capon, broiled to mato and spinach, followed by fruit.

But, before that was served, a young woman clutching a martini was heard to say, “Thank God. I thought they'd be serving carrot juice.”

*

Mountain to Mohammed

Chemical Bank has reor ganized its services so that businesses with sales of from $1‐million to $75‐million will no longer be serviced by branches but from commer cial account centers. Busi nessmen will no longer visit the banks, the bankers will go to them.

That accounts for the theme created by McCaffrey & McCall, “Our man is your bank” and Chemical will be putting about one quarter of its annual $3.3‐million in ad vertising behind it. About 60 per cent of the campaign will be on TV in the late news and locally during major movies.

“As far as we know, we are the first bank to go on television and try to sell com mercial services,” said oseph A. Hall, vice president for ad vertising.

*

Shift by Grolier

Grolier, Inc., the publisher, which has used deGarmo as its agency for the last decade or so, has decided to go to an in‐house agency but will continue to use deGarmo as a consultant.

*

Green Thumb

The Meredith Corporation has assigned the advertising responsibility for its Better Homes and Gardens to John Rockwell & Associates. They must have had it for a while, because the first ad breaks next week keyed to that “big gest revenue ‐ producing issue in magazine history” reported yesterday. The former agency is J. Walter Thompson, Chi cago.

*

Smoke Signal

The United States Tobacco Company is starting to pub lish a quarterly called UST Eagle for its employes and outside interested parties. Featured in its first issue is an article entitled “The Num bers Game of Smoking and Health.” That should be in teresting.